Firefighters Knock Down Rooftop Blaze on Beacon Street

Investigators have not yet determined what caused the wooden deck fire.

Firefighters quickly knocked down a rooftop fire at 182 Beacon St. just after 6 p.m. Monday.  Occupants were evacuated from the six-story condo building as firefighters continued to search for remnant of the fire.  Fire investigators say cause of the fire, which destroyed a wooden deck on the building's roof, is still under investigation but they have ruled out a grill fire.  The fire chief has estimated damage to the building at $1 million. 

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Green Line Service Restored After Morning Fire

Firefighters and T workers were able to isolate a smoldering electrical wire in Arlington station. The loss of Green Line service and an unrelated Red Line incident wreaked havoc on the morning commute.

The MBTA restored Green Line service late Wednesday morning after an electrical fire at Arlington station shut down portions of the service. According to the Boston Fire Department, the station was shut down because of smoking electrical wires. "The power had to be shut down to de-energize the smoldering cable. This caused the closing and evacuation of Arlington & Copley," fire officials wrote on the department's official Twitter account. The offending cable was identified just before 10 a.m., according to the fire department.  The evacuation and shut down affected all Green Line branches. And an unrelated incident on the Red line further complicated the morning commute during one of the coldest days of the year.  MBTA Green Line service …

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Red Cross Offers Tips to Help Prevent Holiday Fires

With trees, extra lights and candles in many homes this month, it's important to be aware of the fire hazards they present.

As beautiful as holiday trees and lights are, they present fire hazards many people may not be aware of. The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts is urging homeowners to use extra caution this time of year to keep the season merry and to prevent holiday fires. The Red Cross provided the following tips to ensure a safe and happy holiday: Christmas Tree Care Holiday Lights and Decorations Holiday Candles

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Police: Attack on Mechanic After Near Traffic Accident

Police news from Beacon Hill, Oct. 19-21.

A man threw a wrench at a mechanic at 1 Longfellow Place Friday because he believed the mechanic almost hit him and his family in an intersection, police reported. The suspect claimed the mechanic nearly hit him at the intersection of Stanford Street and Lomasney Way around 8:30 p.m. The man apparently found the mechanic on Longfellow Place, changing a tire, and threw the wrench at him. The mechanic avoided the blow and called police.  Friday, Oct. 19 Saturday, Oct. 20 Sunday, Oct. 21

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Should Boston Crack Down on Illegal Deck Grills?

How can Boston identify and remove illegal grills before disaster strikes?

A South End roof deck caught fire Thursday night, causing billowing smoke and snarled traffic in the neighborhood. An illegal grill on the roof deck caused the fire, according to the Boston Fire Department. It was the second illegal grill fire in two days; the department put out a Roslindale blaze Wednesday. Spotting illegal grills is difficult from street level, but Bostonians in taller buildings know which neighbors have the contraband cookers and which don't. Here are the city's rules for grills. Mostly they prohibit charcoal grills on any structure and place limits on gas grills. What can Boston do to crack down on illegal grills? Are you willing to rat out your neighbors in the name of safety? Or do you own a rooftop grill? Why do you…

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Jay K.

12:04 pm on Saturday, August 25, 2012

Get a home security system Paul, sounds like Bette is gonna burn down your house!!   more ›

Registry, Training Proposed to Help Autistic Victims in Fires

The Boston City Council mulled a plan to create a volunteer registry of autistic residents, which first responders could use to help rescue special needs residents during a fire.

Boston City Councilor Rob Consalvo proposed creating a voluntary registry that would help identify people with special needs to rescue workers at a rescue situation. Consalvo made the proposal at Wednesday's City Council meeting. Consalvo said he's working with Bill Cannata on the issue. Cannata is the statewide coordinator for the Autism & Law Enforcement Coalition of the Family Autism Center. Cannata, a Westwood firefighter, was featured in a "Today Show" segment about rescue workers saving kids with special needs.  Consalvo recounted a story Cannata told him that emphasized why rescue respondents need training on how to work with special needs individuals. "An 18- or 19-year-old autistic person was told by his parents to never leave the…

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UPDATE: Government Center Station Reopened After Escalator Fire

A belt in the escalator is the likely cause of fire and heavy smoke in station. Fire was out by 7:20 p.m. and the station reopened by 8 p.m.

UPDATE, 8:12 p.m.: Government Center station is open again after a fire and heavy smoke knocked the T stop out of service for about an hour Monday night. The fire started in an escalator motor, which set a belt on fire. That caused the heavy smoke and forced fireifghters to temporarily close the station. ORIGINAL POST, 7:24 p.m.: Government Center T station is closed as firefighters and EMS respond to an escalator fire, according to public safety radio transmissions made by the Boston fire department. The department tweeted that the call came in at 7:04 p.m. and that a belt in the escalator caused the fire. The fire is out but the station is still being evacuated. Green Line trains are bypassing the station, according to the fire …

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NStar Says It Won't Pay For Blackout Business Losses

Mayor Menino said the company should pay small businesses for their losses.

Power Outages Remain After Transformer Fire

Power problems expected to continue through Wednesday; T stops remain closed.

Two MBTA stations remain closed and power outages are expected to continue throughout the day after a transformer fire at the Hilton Hotel garage sent clouds of thick black smoke through the Back Bay neighborhood Tuesday night. Green line service is not stopping at Prudential and Symphony stops. However, the Mass. Ave. stop on the orange line reopened this morning. Power is said to be returning to more than a third of the 21,000 customers who lost it in the Back Bay, South End,  Chinatown, Theater District and Kenmore areas.  Roads in Back Bay are open, except for a portion of Boylston Street near Mass. Avenue. The Pru Tunnel reopened this morning. Fire Broke Out About 6:30 p.m. Firefighters responded at about 6:30 p.m. to a 4-alarm …

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Power Outages After Smoky Transformer Fire

Firefighters have put out the flames in the Back Bay, but urge people to keep their distance as they begin cleanup and access the damage.

Follow Twitter reports related to the #BackBayFire Update 10:40 p.m. NStar estimates there are least 20,000 customers without power in the Back Bay, South End, Chinatown, Fenway and Kenmore. Power will likely not be restored until sometime tomorrow morning. Here's a map we've created that shows the blackout areas and other transportation info in the Back Bay. Tell us about your experience and upload your photos here.   Update 9:28 p.m. Firefighters have contained the blaze in Back Bay, but police will remain on duty as the area is cleaned up and damage is access. People are encouraged to keep their distance. Mayor Menino is on the scene, and power outages could last until tomorrow morning, the City of Boston said. NStar says 20,000 …

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